Dormant hawthorn

My Hawthorne was beautiful when we bought it. Last year it had lots of buds for leaves, but they did not become leaves. The branches were green and supple. This year, again, no leaves, although you can see the tree trunk and branches are green and supple. Is it possible for it to remain dormant but alive for these two spring seasons, or should we dig it up and carry on?

Given the extremely cold and long winter we suffered I suspect the tree possible could be still waking up. I also garden in zone 4 and am seeing some things lag behind quite a bit.

I would not give up yet since your branches are green and bendable. Have you been quite dry this spring? Make sure your giving the new tree adequate water to wake up the roots.
You could also contact the nursery or garden center where you purchased the tree. They may offer a replacement.